Shimla was declared the summer capital in 1864 of the British Raj in India. Now Shimla is the state capital of Himachal Pradesh.Shimla is also known as "Queen of Hills". Shimla city is famous for its buildings styled in tudorbethan and neo-gothic architecture dating from the colonial era. Shimla is approximately 115 km from Chandigarh. Kalka-Shimla railway line, constructed in 1906, added to Shimla's accessibility and popularity. The railway route from Kalka to Shimla, with more than 806 Bridges and 103 tunnels, was touted as an engineering feat and came to be known as the "British Jewel of the Orient" in 2008, It became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mountain railways of India. Shimla has a number of places to visit like the mall road and ridge are in the heart of the city. Most of the heritage buildings in the city are preserved in their original tudorbethan architecture. The Viceregal lodge which houses the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, and Wildflower hall that is now a luxury hotel are some of the famous ones. A collection of paintings, jewellery and textiles of the region can be found at the State Museum.

ADVENTURES IN SHIMLA

Golfing: Nine hole Golf Course at Naldhera, 23 km from Shimla. It is open to all with nominal green fees. Golf sets, balls and caddies are available on hire. The course is closed from 15th Dec to end Feb.

Fishing: Trout fishing (from March to October)is available at Rohru 110 km from Shimla and at Seema 1 km from Rohru. Mahaseer fishing (throughout the year) is available at Tattapani 43 km from Simla. A license has to be obtained for this.

Skiing: The skiing season generally commences in the first fortnight of January and continues till Mid-March depending upon snow conditions. It can be done at Kufri (16 km from the ridge) and Narkanda (64 km from Shimla) from January to March.

Skating: Ice skating rink below Rivoli Cinema at Shimla from November to February.